nydxa said:
Well I may be opening a real can of worms, but has anyone ever noted how many times your local PD gives out a persons name, address and often their social security number, over the air, while running a license check? It’s as if they feed identity theft.
For the most part, Chester County, Pa. usually does most license checks via MDT (at least that's my guess). The only time I hear name and DOB info over
county radio is when there's a "hit confirmation" off the NCIC system, and that's fairly rare.
Some departments (Downingtown Boro. and Birmingham Twp. are two examples off the top of my head) simply send their stop via MDT, with county responding only with "copy your stop" (though there are one or two dispatchers who do give a location when a stop is forwarded via MDT; that should be SOG, IMHO so back-up officers will have an idea what's going on). Most of the other depts. on county dispatch will simply give a location, tag, and # of occupants, with the driver/vehicle info sent via MDT.
OTOH, West Chester PD, which self-dispatches 24/7, will more often than not provide the registration info over the air. Additionally, for NCIC/COAST (Pa. version of NCIC) checks, WCPD will put names and, when neccesary, DOB over the air, but the only time an SS# is involved is on a NCIC/COAST hit confirmation, and even then it's usually only the last four digits.
Most of the surrounding counties have NCIC/COAST/data check channels or talk groups where it's simply registration info and D/L info, but never SS#'s (at least from what I've been able to hear). For most NCIC checks in Philadelphia, they more often than not give out the last 4 of a SS# when responding to a check. The only dept. in SE Pa. that I know of that has put full SS# over the air is SEPTA Transit Police (why they do so, I don't know; overall, that department is an embarassment to law enforcement, but that's another rant for another forum).
The few times that I've monitored NJSP, I have heard troopers regularly read full SS# over the air.
I certainly agree that there's no legitimate purpose to put SS# over the air, unless only the last four digits of an SS# are given out. Then again, that's probably risky as well, since how often do certain businesses (read: banks) or payroll departments require those last four digits?
My feeling is that where possible, PDs should use MDTs for all NCIC checks as opposed to going over the air with same info. I don't see any need for that info to be broadcast at all.